Behind The Scenes Of "The Inspector"

The first time the commissioned an opera -- the 2004 comedic work "Volpone" -- it was nominated for a Grammy.

Six years later, the foundation is hoping to continue that success with its second original opera, " The Inspector," which will have its world premiere at Wolf Trap tonight.

The comedic opera is set in Italy, with "Volpone"'s Grammy-nominated composer and librettist, John Musto and Mark Campbell, at the helm. Its cast features  Wolf Trap Opera's young artists program, as well as several of the program's alumni.

The opera is based on Nikolai Gogol's "Government Inspector," a play set in Imperial Russia. To better relate the story to a modern audience, librettist Mark Campbell and composer John Musto re-set the opera in Italy.

"Between 1925 and 1930, Mussolini dispatched government inspectors (or “prefetti”) to Sicily to rout out local corruption. Their methods involved brutality and torture—but the campaign eventually succeeded in ending Mafia control in Sicily, temporarily," they wrote.

The opera is entirely in English, Wolftrap Opera Director Kim Witman says, so paired with its comedic nature, the show makes a perfect "first opera" for families, or, for musical theater lovers who have been wary of opera in the past.

"The Inspector" will debut at Wolf Trap tonight, and continue performances this week. It will move to Boston next year.

Wolf Trap invited Vienna Patch behind the scenes of the opera. Watch the video, by clicking the media gallery above, to catch a glimpse of singers, artists and composers that put the opera together.

"The Inspector" will run at 8 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday at The Barns at Wolf Trap. Ticket prices range from $32 to $72. For more information, click here.